What's In A Name?
by sillycucumber
Summary: While doing rounds, Rose is confronted by someone desperate to tell her something. Something important.


A one-shot drabble. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All JK's.

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Rose hated rounds.

It was the one, and only, part of being a Prefect that she truly despised. Wasn't doing rounds part of a teachers job description? Wasn't that what they were for outside of class? Otherwise why bother to sleep in the castle? Why not just go home? They were just lazy in her opinion. Big, old, stuffy lazy sods. Didn't they know Rose could be doing better things with her time than rounds? Didn't they know she had homework to do? Homework they had set, and then insisted she gets in on time _and_ with a thorough explanation of the topic?

_God_, she thought to herself as she rounded the corner into the fifth floor corridor, _was _that_ ever my mothers' voice that just flew hundreds of miles and flew into my head_! Rose smiled to herself. She was no stranger to being compared to her mother. They did look an awful lot alike, after all. The same nose, the same eyes, the same hands, the same mouth… and that was just physical characteristics. Rose didn't mind, not even in the slightest.

What she did mind though was these ridiculous rounds.

She ran a hand through her long red hair and rolled her head back, her shoulders hunched as she dragged her feet along the stone floor. It would have at least been bearable had she had someone to do rounds with. But no, the Prefects were all split up and given certain sections of the castle to patrol. Rose's "territory" – as Hugo liked to put it – was the fourth floor to the seventh floor corridors of the west side of the castle, just under Ravenclaw Tower. She spared a thought for Albus currently down in the dungeons doing his own rounds. All the dripping water and the smell of wet socks down there – as Hugo _also_ liked to put it – made him twitchy. Albus liked to pretend it was his sinuses.

Rose groaned as she came to another staircase. Why was this castle so big anyway? She never really noticed Hogwarts sheer size until she had to do rounds, by herself at ten thirty at night. There was a word for this. That word was _Bollocks_.

Loosening her scarlet tie, Rose looked at her watch. Still another fifteen minutes and she could go back to Gryffindor Tower. Fifteen minutes and she could collapse onto the couch with Albus and share in a quiet whine about the injustice of rounds. Fifteen minutes and she could finish her Astrology essay. Fifteen minutes and she could go to sleep!

This last one was by far the most exciting.

As she walked absentmindedly up the sixth floor corridor, she found herself wishing for something, _anything_, to happen. Something exciting, like the roof caving in and Nargles flying everywhere, zooming into people's ears and chewing on their brains. A student racing down the corridors on a Vespa, letting off fireworks everywhere from Uncle George's shop. Professor Longbottom stumbling into the Great Hall, blind drunk, deciding that the décor didn't match McGonagall's and needed to be made purple immediately. Adrian O'Rourke from the Montrose Magpies, flying through the window, getting down on one knee and declaring his undying love for her.

Not that she supported the Montrose Magpies. Adrian O'Rourke was just really cute.

A sudden shiver went up Rose's spine, pulling her back to reality. She stopped in her tracks and looked around, narrowing her eyes, trying to focus in the darkness. It was that eerie feeling of eyes on you, like you were being watched. But there was no-one there. There had been no sound.

With one last look, Rose pursed her lips and continued on her way.

This castle did things to your mind late at night. During the day all the quirky noises and the chattering portraits and the moving suits of armor were amusing, but at night it became a little freakier. Made you feel more paranoid and on edge. Six years at this school and Rose still got spooked every now and then. Or, as Hugo liked to put it, "had several litters of kittens". Rose made a mental note to smack her brother hard in the arm later, completely on principle.

Rose felt a stab of envy as she thought of her little brother, no doubt lounging about near the fire in the Ravenclaw Common Room just one floor above her, a book in his lap and not a care in the world. It was tempting to go visit him now instead of later; she knew the password to Ravenclaw Tower, she was one of the few non-Ravenclaws who did. She was heading up that way. Maybe she could drop by just for a minute…

"_HOLY CR-…" _

CRASH.

Rose groaned, not moving. She laid sprawled on the ground against the wall, the scattered remains of the suit of armor she had stumbled into lying around her in a metallic heap. The cause of her sudden leap of terror, of her to stumble and trip over her down feet and send her crashing to the floor stood over her, shoulders shuddering violently with a failing attempt not to burst out laughing.

"You know, I'm used to girls falling over when I walk by,' came a familiar voice, 'but normally they swoon, and land in the direction of my feet… not into stone walls."

Rose scowled, her ears going red with humiliation. "Sod off, Malfoy."

Scorpius Malfoy smiled down at Rose as she pulled herself up off the floor. "Well, that's not very friendly."

"Neither is sneaking up on people in the middle of the night, but that didn't stop you."

She had only managed to storm off a few paces, trying very hard not to rub her sore backside, before Scorpius had fallen into step beside her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"The only thing that scares me, Malfoy, are your manners."

He drew in a sharp intake of breath through his teeth. "Still upset about this morning, huh?"

Rose stopped in her tracks and gaped at him. "_Still upset_? You dumped an entire bowl of porridge on my head!"

"Yes."

"From the Slytherin table!"

"Yes."

"The Slytherin table that is all the way over on the other side of the Great Hall from the Gryffindor table!"

"Weasley, your mouth is moving, but I can't understand the vowel sounds you're making."

Rose glared at him, wishing she hadn't left her wand in her robes… which was back up in her dormitory. "Aren't you supposed to be down at the Hufflepuff's basement by now?"

Scorpius let out a "pfft" with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Hufflepuffs _wish_ they had the courage to do anything remotely frowned upon, the cunning to successfully pull it off and the intelligence to think of it in the first place. They're more likely to be having Firewhiskey shots off Longbottom's stomach than breaking any rules."

"That's hardly the point! You're a Prefect!"

"That's hardly the point either."

Rose shook her head and walked off. "That still doesn't explain why you're all the way up here. This is _my_ territory."

"Didn't know I was trespassing."

"You know what I mean!"

Scorpius snorted, placing his hands behind his back as he walked along side her. "Why are you getting so annoyed? I told you, there's nothing going on downstairs. I was bored."

Rose pursed her lips and sped up her pace, hoping he would get the message. But he kept up with the absurdist of ease, and feeling going into a full-on run to be a bit dramatic, Rose simply chose to ignore him. Plus, her hip hurt, and she could barely walk without a limp.

Frustratingly, he was keeping up seemingly without effort.

"While we got a moment here, maybe you can explain something to me I never understood."

"I'd really rather not…"

"What is the theory on this handkerchief thing?' he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. 'I mean, after you blow your nose in it, you put it back in your pocket and then you see someone in distress and you like give them this gift from your pocket, are they supposed to be grateful as they wipe it all over their face?"

Rose grimaced. "If that's something you've pondered, you really have far too much free time on your hands."

Scorpius smiled, showing off all his white teeth. It was one of the things Rose noticed about him. He wasn't like his father much. He never smirked, and he never smiled with his lips together. He was never restrained. He never held a smile back. He never did things half way.

"You just don't have an answer, do you." It wasn't a question.

"How can you even answer something as revolting as… oh my God, we are _not_ having this conversation! Malfoy, just go back downstairs, will you? Please? I'm trying to finish my rounds!"

"The all-knowing Rose Weasley without an answer!' laughed Scorpius. 'What a day in history this is turning out to be!"

"Oh go stick your head in Myrtle's toilet."

Scorpius snorted and jogged along side her as she unsuccessfully, due to her sore leg, tried to speed up her pace again. "Hey, I don't mind Myrtle. Sweet girl. Has a lovely colour to her cheeks. Not too fussed about the effect that water will have on my hair though. Do you know how long it takes me to get this look in the morning?"

"I'm sure I don't care."

"Why don't you ever just listen to me? Like in class! I have all these brilliant ideas in class and you never let me tell you them."

"Because you're an idiot, that's why."

"Well, yeah… but only in the literal sense."

Rose rolled her eyes as they turned a corner. Why couldn't he just _go away_?

"There's a lot we could learn from each other, you know.' He sang.

"Sure! Hey, why don't you start by teaching me how to disappear without a trace?"

"Okay! First you… _hey_!"

Rose groaned as she felt a pain shoot up her hip. She reached out for the wall but felt a warm hand take hers and hold her tight.

"Are you poorly?' asked Scorpius.

"No, thank you, I'm fine.' She said stubbornly.

Scorpius smiled. "Right, of course. The suit of amour broke your fall."

Rose sighed and quickly took her hand back, ignoring the tingles. "What do you want, Malfoy? I mean, really."

He said nothing – a very strange occurrence for Scorpius Malfoy. His expression had suddenly gone serious, and Rose felt slightly uncomfortable under his gaze. He had such brown eyes that were so intense and focused. He was only slightly taller than her; lean with platinum blonde hair like his father. The top button of his white shirt was undone, his green and silver tie hung loosely around his collar and his black vest was unbuttoned completely. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to just under his elbows, exposing toned forearms. Normally Rose wouldn't have given Scorpius such an assessment, but the silence was stretching out, and she felt more and more uncomfortable, and his brown eyes just stared right into her blue ones, unblinking, as if he were trying to memorize every inch of her.

And, she had a thing about forearms.

A thought occurred to her suddenly, and she felt ridiculous for not having considered it before. She frowned. "This is about Albus, isn't it!"

Finally, Scorpius blinked. "Potter?"

"Yes! This is about your game next weekend, isn't it?"

"What? No, that's not…"

"Because I'll tell you like I told him, I am not the go-between for the two of you! Just because you and I happen to get on and just because Al is my cousin does _not_ mean I want anything to do with your ridiculous, childish, on-pitch antics!"

"Weasley, this has nothing to do with Quidd- …wait, Potter's been talking to you about our game?"

Rose cried out in frustration, threw her arms up in the air and stormed off.

Scorpius was only distracted by this new for a few moments before he jogged off after her, falling into step beside her again.

"How many times do I have to storm off before you get the hint? Ballpark figure."

"If you stopped storming off I wouldn't have to follow you."

She pursed her lips and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "This isn't about Quidditch?"

"Hmmm? Well, no… but if Potter's been giving you top secret information I have every intention of bribing it out of you."

"Al hasn't told me anything.' she said. 'Probably paranoid that you'd ask me about it."

"His schizophrenia is well-placed."

Rose shook her head. Scorpius and Albus had a tolerate/hate relationship. Off the Quidditch Pitch they were courteous to each other. They were polite. They were tolerant and didn't get in each other's way. But _on_ the pitch… all bets were off. Their rivalry was just as intense that their fathers had been, perhaps even more so, as her own father proudly like to put it. Both Chasers on their respective house teams, they seemed to vent all their every day frustrations with each other over the Quaffle. Rose personally preferred it that way. She knew for a fact her Aunt Ginny did too.

"Well, if this isn't about Quidditch then what is it about? I was under the impression that nothing but Quidditch mattered."

"As hard as it may be to believe… you're mistaken."

"Is this about Potions? Because I did do my half of the assignment."

"No, it's not about school."

"I'm not swapping my patrol area with you again if that's what you want."

"It's nothing to do with Prefect duties."

Rose was puzzled. What else was there? They had nothing else in common.

Scorpius smiled. "This is about you."

"Me? What have I done?"

"It's not something you've done.' He laughed.

Rose just quirked a red eyebrow.

Scorpius put his hands back in his pockets. "I like you."

For a very long moment she said nothing, just looked at him with a blank expression. He said nothing either, just looked right back at her, a friendly, expectant look on his face.

Finally, she frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"I like you. And I'm sorry that it seemed like I've been stalking you for the past ten minutes, but we get so little time together alone and this really isn't a conversation one can have across a Charms classroom."

"But… you… _what_?"

Scorpius sighed. "You know, Weasley, for an intelligent girl you really are quite slow."

Rose blinked. None of this made sense. Was she misreading all this?

She frowned and nodded. "You came all the way up here to tell me this?"

"So it would seem."

"Right. Well, I guess… I like you too. I mean, I hadn't thought we were really _that_ good friends, but there you go. I guess you can define it as 'like'. Who'd've thought!"

Scorpius's eyes widened. "Oh, actually, that's not…"

"Well, now that's out of the way,' she smiled, giving him a nod, 'we should just… get on with our rounds, yes? Right. I'll see you tomorrow morning at…"

Rose didn't get any further. Without a word, Scorpius had suddenly moved forward and backed her right up against the wall. He was very close, his face bent in toward hers as if he were trying to count her eyelashes. Rose recoiled slightly, surprised by his sudden proximity and his serious expression.

Scorpius put a hand on the wall and leant on it. "I'm not letting you go until you understand this. Look at me. I'm not joking anymore. This is my serious face. It doesn't come out very often, it has wrinkles and it makes me look seventy, but I'm bringing it out now because I want you to understand."

She swallowed. "Malfoy, I don't…"

"Just shut up.' He said softly, kindly. 'Let me get this out before my head explodes."

Rose bit her lip. "Uh…o-okay."

Scorpius moved in slightly. "I like you. More than a friend. More than a partner in class. More than someone I just happen to go to school with. I've had this feeling in my chest for a while now – this overwhelming, calming, fiery feeling – and I've only just figured out what it is… and I'm so excited about it, so happy about it, that I want you to know what it is too. I like you. I think you're terrific. You're always at the front of my mind, like someone's painted a gorgeous picture of you and stuck it permanently at the front of my brain. You're the first thing I think of when I wake up, and the last thing I think of before I go to sleep. I'm quite sure I actually dream about you, but I can't quite remember. Sometimes while I'm sitting in class… not thinking about class, because that would never happen… I think about kissing you. And it's like everything just stops. Like everything fades out and there just you, a light at the centre of the universe, and I'm drawn to you like a moth to a flame.

He sighed and rubbed his face. "I'm not saying any of this right. I'm only sixteen. I don't know how to say nice things to people. I don't know the right words to say, but I do know me, and I know that I have this compulsive need to say whatever I think without covering it up. And the truth is that you're amazing. You really are. I like everything about you. I like the colour of your hair. I like how when you're sitting at the Gryffindor table at dinner, with your back to the window when the sun goes down and the light hits you, it's like you're on fire. Like you're glowing. I like how your knees bend when you walk. I like how your shoulders hunch when you're getting to a good part in one of your books. I like how you have a different smile for different things. I like the way you wear your shirt. I like how you suck tomato sauce off your finger. I like how you hold your quill when you write. I like what you are. What you do. How you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength, and in all my life I know I'll never find anyone ever again that I feel this way about.

"I'm not telling you this because I want you to like me back. I'm telling you this because I want you to know. I'm telling you this without expectation or agenda. I'm not asking you for anything. I just want you to know that even though we're not best friends, even though we don't send Christmas cards to each other, even though we don't sit with each other at dinner or talk about our daily woes over scones and cream or have the same taste in music and even though it's probably too late to start… I like you, Rose."

Rose was, quite literally, completely speechless. She just stared at him with her lips parted. He was so very close, she could see his long lashes, and if she just tilted her head upward a fraction she knew their lips would meet. She knew he knew that too; it was the whole reason he was so close in the first place. Her mind was racing, trying to process all this.

"Scorpius…' she finally breathed, '… I don't know what to say."

"That's a first.' he chuckled softly.

"You don't know me well enough.' she said.

Scorpius pursed his lips. "I don't know you well, it's true. Not as well as I'd like to. I don't know what you look like first thing in the morning, and I don't know your favorite fruit, and I don't know exactly why you do follow the Cannons… but I've watched you. We've lived together for six years. I don't know you well, but I _do_ know you well enough."

Rose frowned. "You like me?"

"Yes I do."

"As in… _like_ like me?"

"Yes."

Rose just smiled, looking confused at the same time.

Scorpius sighed. "So can we snog now?"

"Excuse me? I don't even know how I feel about _you_ yet!"

"What's feelings got to do with a good kiss?"

"Well, I don't know what _else_ you think about me, but I am most certainly not the sort of girl who just goes around flashing her bits at boys and slipping into broom cupboards for a quimmppphhhh–…."

Kissing him was nothing like she'd imagined. Not that she'd spent any moment of her entire adolescence imagining what it would be like to kiss Scorpius Malfoy, no suree. He was gentle, and his lips were warm – probably from so much talking. He cupped her face with his other hand and leant in more, pressing himself against her only just. If she'd had any sanity left she would have pushed him away.

Well, probably.

Well, possibly.

As quickly as it had started, it was over. Scorpius pulled back slowly, a goofy look on his face. Rose's eyes were still shut, her face tilted upward.

Scorpius smiled. "Yep. I was right. Everything's definitely faded."

"That's probably just the blood rushing to your head."

"Its, er… not really rushing there."

Rose half groaned, half laughed. "You're incorrigible."

"Also charming, witty, wholesome and pretty darn rich."

Scorpius grinned and kissed her cheek softly. Rose took his hand in hers and linked their fingers. She'd never really touched him before. Sure they'd brushed shoulders as they passed in the halls, or her fingers had brushed against his palm as she handed him something particularly slimy in Potions, but never like this. She'd never taken the time to appreciate how long his fingers were, how soft the skin in the palm of his hand was, how perfectly manicured his nails were (this caused a raised eyebrow, but only for a second). Or how he smelt. Having never really been this close to him, she wasn't all together surprised he smelt so good, but this was the first time she'd actually taken the time to inhale it.

Merlin's pants, what was she _doing_? Was she actually _sniffing_ him?

He pursed his lips. "You can't say the same thing about me, can you." It was a question.

"Oh, Scorpius, I just… I've…' _You've never really given him that much thought_, she said honestly to herself.

"It's okay.' He said kindly, cutting her off. 'I didn't expect you to feel the same way. I'd hoped, but I didn't expect. And it's fine."

"I didn't say that."

"Actually, you didn't say anything at all.' He raised his eyebrows. 'You mean you _do_ feel the same?"

"I didn't say that either!"

"Well say _something_!"

She huffed ducked under his arm and stepped away from him. "I just need a minute to process all this, okay? I mean, you can't just show up out of nowhere and go all Romeo Montague on me and expect me to just fall into your arms and declare that I feel the same way about you too!"

"What's a Romeo?"

"I thought we were just partners in class. I didn't even think we were really friends. I didn't even think that you liked me that much!"

"I do like you that much."

She was pacing her hand running through her flaming red hair repeatedly. "This is all just so… I haven't… do you have any idea what my father would say if he knew you'd just said all that to me?"

"Do you have any idea what _my_ father would say if he knew I'd just said all that to you?' he retorted. 'You think he'd smile at the idea that I have feelings for you? You think he'd clap me on the shoulder and say '_well done son, here, have some of your inheritance early'_?' He imitated in a very accurate drawl. 'I know he wouldn't be pleased. I know your father would turn me into an earwig if I came within ten feet of you. But I don't care. You're not a Weasley to me – you're just Rose."

Rose stopped her pacing and looked at him. "No-one's ever said anything like what you said to me before."

Scorpius smiled. "It's all true. I think you're wonderful. And I was hoping that… maybe, if you'd let me have the chance… I could show you how nice I can be too."

"You mean like… as a boyfriend?"

"Actually I was thinking more along the lines of talking over a drink at the Three Broomsticks at this weekend's Hogsmeade visit, but your idea sounds nice too."

"We have nothing in common."

"So? You're grasping at wands here.' He stepped forward and grabbed her gently by the hips, bringing their pelvises together. He leant in and kissed her again, and Rose exhaled against him. She'd always suspected him to be a good kisser. He was a good everything.

"So,' said a new voice suddenly, 'what's all this then?"

Rose jumped back from Scorpius as if he had electrocuted her, their kiss ending with a loud smack. She looked around and saw that they were no longer alone.

"Hugh!' she cried.

Hugo Weasley just stood there, a few meters away, his hands in his pockets. His brown, shoulder length hair was damp and he'd obviously just come from the showers.

"Rosie.' He looked at the blonde Slytherin and his eyebrow rose. "Malfoy."

"Hugh, this isn't what it looks like.' said Rose quickly.

"So you're not snogging Malfoy in the middle of the hallway?"

"I tripped.' said Scorpius.

"And landed on my sister's lips?'

"Hugh, we were just talking.' Said Rose irritably.

"Most people don't use their tongues to talk. Or…well yes, actually, I suppose they _do_…"

Rose marched up to her little brother, (despite being only fifteen, he was two inches taller than her) and grabbed him by the arms. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Yeah, Weasley,' smiled Scorpius, 'shouldn't you have your nose in some massive book somewhere instead of in other people's business?"

Hugo glared at him for a moment. "You said you'd meet me after your rounds were done. And they finished ten minutes ago, and I figured I'd just come look for you. If I'd've known you'd be getting off with Malfoy…"

"I wasn't getting off with him!"

"Not yet she wasn't."

Rose threw Scorpius a venomous glare over her shoulder. Scorpius just smiled.

Hugo took his sister's wrists and pried her hands off him. "Do I need to dispose of him?"

"I'm a _Prefect _young man!' said Scorpius, flashing his little green badge. 'If anyone will be doing the disposing around here, it'll be me."

"Go fall off your broom, Malfoy!"

"Go back to the library, Weasley!"

"Both of you, just _stop_!' snapped Rose. She put a hand on Hugo's chest to stop him charging forward and turned to Scorpius. 'I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Scorpius didn't look disgruntled. If anything, he looked amused. He smiled, put his hands up in defeat and began to back away. "Of course. I have to be going anyway. Need my sleep. Big day tomorrow. Need to get up early and stockpile all the toast at the Slytherin table so I can throw it at you."

Rose's mouth twitched.

Scorpius bowed low. "Goodnight, Rosie. Nighty night, Hugo!"

Once he had had turned the corner out of sight, Rose let her hand flopped and frowned up at her brother.

Hugo quirked an eyebrow. "Want to tell me what all that was about?"

"I'd really rather go to bed."

"With Malfoy?"

Rose sighed heavily. "Hugo, please don't start."

Hugo fell into step beside her as they walked back toward Ravenclaw Tower. "Are you going to go out with him?"

"Not anytime soon. Well, he did ask me to Hogsmeade next weekend…"

"Did you say yes?"

"I didn't get the chance."

"_Would_ you say yes?"

"Hugo, enough with the questions!"

"Do you like him?"

"_I don't know_!' she cried.

Hugo stopped with her and looked down at her, surprised. Rose rubbed her face, looking very stressed indeed. She always rubbed her eyes and ran her hands through her long red hair when she was stressed.

She sighed. "I don't know. I don't know how I feel about him. I mean, if you had asked me this morning I would have had a few choice things to say about him…"

"I _did_ ask you this morning… after you were done picking bits of porridge out of your hair… and you did have a lot of choice words to say about him.' He slung an arm around her shoulder and began walking again. 'Hence why I don't understand your sudden physical affection toward him. I thought you hated him. I thought he was nothing but a spoilt, rich, overcompensating baboon who needed to strongly rethink the length of his sideburns."

Rose frowned. "When have I ever said that?"

"Two months ago. You came and found me after Transfiguration in quite the tither. He'd apparently colored a smiley face onto the back of your head while he was sitting behind you in class."

"You remember everything!' she laughed.

"I don't remember you telling me you had feelings for Malfoy.' He grinned.

Rose blew air out through her lips. It was amazing the amount of maturity Hugo had, especially for a boy and even more especially for a fifteen year old boy. Most boys his age were insensitive prats who always managed to say the wrong thing. Hugo would always say the right thing. He would always calm her down (on the occasions he wasn't the one making her furious in the first place, that is). He was always a sounding board. He had all the characteristics of a Gryffindor, and yet he was a proud member of Ravenclaw house. Rose completely understood; he was very studious, intelligent, motivated. An entire wall in his bedroom back home was devoted to a massive shelf crammed full with books. His fingers were always stained with ink. He was quiet and sarcastic and funny, and even though sometimes they could fight for weeks and hate each other so much they couldn't stand the sight of each other, Rose didn't know what she would do without him.

"I don't know how I feel about him.' She admitted. 'I mean, he's nice… to me anyway. We always get along. I've just never really seen him that way. I don't know him well enough."

"Maybe you should get to know him."

Rose looked up at him. "Am I hearing right? You're actually _encouraging_ me to do this?"

Hugo shrugged. "You seem to like him enough to want to snog him. I think you're just worried about what Dad will think."

"I'm not planning on marrying him."

"You know Dad."

She hugged herself. "And… what would you think? Hypothetically speaking, of course."

"Me? I couldn't give a toss."

"Really?"

"It's like Mum tells us all the time, a name shouldn't make a person. As long as he's good to you then I'm fine with it. But the second he breaks your heart I'm there with a broomstick to shove up his…"

"I don't need the visual thank you."

Hugo put his hands in his pockets again and Rose linked her arm through his. He smiled. "Can I be there when you tell Dad you're dating him?"

"No."

"Can I be there when you tell Al?"

Rose laughed. "Oh God! What will _he_ say?"

Hugo looked at her. "So you're actually going to do this? You're going to take a risk with Malfoy?"

She thought about it. She thought about everything he had said to her. Scorpius wasn't one to lie; everyone knew this about him. He was always honest, sometimes uncomfortably so. Whenever he wanted to do something he just went right ahead and did it. He didn't beat around the bush. He was direct. And Rose knew that he wasn't playing games with her. It was still a shock to think that anyone could think of her that way. She'd had a fair amount of interest with boys, but none to the extent that Scorpius seemed to be feeling. It was strange, and it was flattering, and Rose could still feel his lips against hers.

She smiled. "You never know. He may just turn out to be worth it."

* * *

A/N – Yay! It feels so good to finish something, even if it was just a drabble. This was something that popped into my head one night, and I thought I'd write it to see if I could get the creative juices flowing in my inspiration drought. I hope you all liked it. Sorry about all the Buffy references by the way, but oh do I love that show.

Please review!


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